A print head may be lifted off and caused to land on a record carrier by respectively using, for example, a spring and an electromagnet. It is also possible to keep the print head lifted off by means of an electromagnet and to cause it to land on the record carrier with the aid of a spring assembly after the electromagnet has been de-energized. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 496,760, filed May 20, 1983 and issued Mar. 5, 1985 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,797, discloses an arrangement employing two differently biased springs or spring assemblies, wherein the weaker spring assembly lifts off the print head, while the stronger spring assembly is locked. Upon release of the locked assembly by means of a magnet, a soft landing of the print head is obtained by the stronger spring rendering the weaker one ineffective. Generally speaking, in printers with one print head, the head is kept and guided in a defined print position and lifted off during its return motion or upon completion of the print process. When the print head subsequently touches down for a further print operation, kinetic energy is released. If the record carrier is flexibly supported on a resilient platen, the print head will penetrate the record carrier more deeply or, in the absence of such a platen, it will tend to bounce. This bouncing is difficult to eliminate even by complicated damping systems, because of the deceleration time required and the tendency of the damping system to oscillate.